Cable and X-Force, Vol. 1: Wanted

Cable and X-Force (Collected Editions) #1

by Dennis Hopeless, Gabriel Hernández Walta (Illustrator), Salvador Larroca (Illustrator)

Collects Cable and X-Force #1-5. Cable is back! NOW!, with a new X-Force at his side, he must tackle the threats that nobody else can know about - even if it makes him and his team public enemy number one. Just who are Cable's new recruits? Where has Colossus been post-AV X, and what is wrong with his powers? And most importantly, why are Cable and his team attacking a civilian company?

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, X Men, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes

125 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 14, 2013

About the author

Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum is an American comics writer from Kansas City, Missouri who has written for Marvel Comics, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Boom! Studios, Arcana Studio, and Oni Press.

See also under Dennis Hallum

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dennis Hopeless is one of my least liked X-book writers, and he does nothing to change my mind here, in this volume. Although the opening scene with X-Force caught bang to rights, by the Uncanny Avengers, of murdering factory workers was a superb opener. But for me, the one-dimensional characterisations make it hard to care about anyone in this book; it was only the ongoing mystery of who's behind it all, that kept me reading this one. 5 out of 12, Two Star read.

2018 read

[Sean Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure I've ever read an incarnation of X-Force that elicited anything more than a "meh" reaction, and this volume is no different. I'm not sure if it's Cable, Domino, or anyone else in particular, but I just have a hard time getting excited about them. And this version doesn't even have the unique comedic stylings and impossible body contortions/proportions of Rob Liefeld's art to entertain.

Ah, well...maybe X-Force just isn't meant to be for me. If anyone has a particularly good run of issues to recommend (from any point), I'd be curious to hear...

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Objectively, it's pretty good. I kind of like the idea of somebody using premonitions to change the future so thoroughly that the danger they avert never exists. Which leads to our band of heroes looking like terrorists. And I did want to see what Colossus had gotten up to since AvX. But even though I at least kind of like every character in this book, I couldn't muster up any enthusiasm for these characters in this book.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

With a surname like “Hopeless”, you’d think anything written by Dennis Hopeless would be good, as he’d be trying that much harder to make his work better and avoid the obvious snide critical remark of “This book is, (chuckle), hopeless!”. And Cable and X-Force isn’t bad, but it’s not that great either.

Cable assembles a team because… well, he just does. There’s no series otherwise! They’re assembled one at a time, Ocean’s Eleven style, but there’s no real purpose, they’re just kind of going along with some doom premonition of Cable’s and unfortunately get branded as bad eggs by the authorities and the X-Men and Avengers along the way. The team is: Cable, Hope, Colossus, Forge, Dr Nemesis and Domino, and I think the character work in this book is especially good. Cable and Hope’s relationship, father and daughter, is the emotional core of the series, something you often don’t see in team books (for a soulless team book, check out – or don’t - DC’s Team 7) and it’s definitely one of the highlights of the book. Cable also gets a new arm but he’s still having his usual problems with the techno-organic virus he’s permanently infected with.

Also Forge and Dr Nemesis’ relationship is really funny, Nemesis behaving in a less-insane Deadpool style while Forge is a sarcastic, less beastly Hank McCoy. They have a great scene at the end where they build massive rock-‘em-sock-‘em robots in a junkyard because they’re bored and start gambling. Domino is kind of your template physically-tough female character but I liked that she and Peter (Rasputin, aka Colossus) hooked up – poor guy needed it, especially since that Kitty Pryde relationship has sailed.

But if the characters are solid, the story is less so. First most of the team fight some amorphous techno-organic blob and then they fight a series of massively obese guys – they’re so forgettable and inconsequential. There’s no real story arc to this first volume and no strong villain either, both of which are why the book fails to be any good. Instead we’re left with some decent characters doing the narrative equivalent of shrugging while the pages tick down, which is also how I felt when reading this – yeah…so…? If this series is going to be worth reading, it needs to address these problems quick smart.

[Zack! Empire · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fun to get back to the X-Men with a book that is not about the two schools (like Uncanny, Wolverine and, and All-New) and more about the fun aspects of a team book and dynamic. This book has some flaws, like the team coming together for no other reason than it's not a solo Cable book, and some weak enemies thrown in to fight, because superheroes have to fight somebody, but it's not that bad. I don't know much about most of these guys but they all seem interesting. Dr. Nemesis was very interesting. Like a mutant Doctor Frankenstein. Cable came about when I was around ten years old so of course the nostalgia factory will make him cool forever. And Colossus has been one of my favorite X-Men since I first saw him. I just love his power. So in terms of the characters, I'm loving this book.
The premise behind the book is cool. Cable is having visions about the future and acts to stop the things he see's from coming to pass. However, doing so makes him seem like a terrorist since no one else has his knowledge of the future. I've always thought this was a cool idea. If someone knew what an asshole Hitler would turn out to be and just killed him before world war two they would just be branded a murderer since Hitler hasn't done anything wrong yet. It's a catch 22 story. By this I stopped that, but no one else knows, since that never happed now. Get it?
The art and color on this book is great. I just really dug the faces. I like the way cable has this grizzly bear fucked Clint Eastwood look. I appreciated the way the artist didn't take every opportunity to shove Domino's tit's and ass in our face at every chance.
This series isn't earth shattering, but it is really fun.

[Myles Likes Tacos and Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very silly premise (Fast food is the enemy), but who cares. What matters most in X-Stories are the relationships. I'm a sucker for anything Hope / Cable and Hopeless understands the heart of that dynamic. Supporting cast is great too, especially Peter and Neena

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

[This review covers the first three volumes of the series]
I skipped over most of AvX, so picking up this title on the backside of it with Marvel Now! left me feeling a little lost plot-wise, so I'm not sure my assessment is entirely fair. It's not that I didn't like it, it's that I read it about a week ago and any emotion I had while reading it has long since dissipated. I do like this particular incarnation of X-Force. I haven't read too many stories with Domino and while she's a bit oversexed for me (is it just me, or do strong women in comics also tend to be aggressive sexually?) I do like her character and want to read more about her origins and powers. Cable is a big ol' dingbat and not very likeable. I'd be just fine if the series was about the rest of them and he went off to brood somewhere. But I don't have a lot of history with that character either. Anyhow, the plot devolves into yet another future-self-from-dystopian-future-wants-you-to-effectively-write-them-out-of-existence-and-save-the-world-in-the-process that is all too common in X-Men books, but whatever. Original plots are not why I read superhero comics. I LIKE ENDLESS THE INTERPERSONAL DRAMA. As we all know, superhero comics are soap operas with spandex and punching, anyway. I'm not ashamed of my love for them. Are you?

[Tom Malinowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cable is having premonitions about the future. Domino, Colossus, Dr. Nemesis, and Forge round out this motley group of heroes. Too bad their first mission is sort of a disaster. Caption on the cover reads "Mad Max meets Ocean's 11." I couldn't agree more. Mysteries, action, and surprises.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Try as I did,I didn't like this,very poor

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up mainly for Domino, one of my girl crushes. I like the previous incarnation of X-Force (Yost and Kyle), and I didn't have high expectations for this (just grabbed it because this is available at my library). However, it was pretty good. My biggest complaint is I had trouble following the storyline. Don't know if it was me or the layout. I have a head cold, so it might be a problem with focusing for me right now. I actually liked this team-up more than I expected. I like Doctor Nemesis. His look is iconic, and I like his mad scientist vibe. Cable is such a dynamic, powerful figure. Hope felt underused in this, so that's a detractor for me. The storyline was kind of crazy, about an anti-mutant fast food entrepreneur engineering a viral plague/food-born illness to start a war between mutants and non-mutants. I like a little crazy, so I was cool with this. I just had trouble following the story. Now that I think about it, maybe the art could be more distinctive in contrasts. The colors were all similar to me. It looked blurry to me, and the lettering was kind of small and blocky for my tastes.

I'll keep reading this series, since my library has them. It doesn't live up to my other X-Force team (and I really miss Wolverine and X-23), because they are a very hard act to follow.

[Travis Duke · Rating 4 out of 5]

My faith in Dennis Hopeless is gaining. Considering Rick Remender's near perfect x-force series I was hesitant that this wouldn't be as good, I was slightly wrong. Once again I love this incarnation of x-force: cable, domino, Forge, Colossus, and Dr. Nemesis; it is a good mix of new and old. Dr Nemesis is one of my new favorites and his banter with Forge is really fun. Domino has an interested relationship with colossus and I actually liked that as well considering what a emotion mess colossus is these days, she help him a bit. Of coarse Cable has daughter issues and is struggling with the future/past like always oh and did i mention he is sick again, big shocker. Overall I like Larroca's art, he has a patient style with crisp line work ( he draws Domino very well). The story itself is good and has afew twists and turns but not to many and Hopeless hold back on the time travel which is a simple relief after all that going on in the universe lately.

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing to really write home about. It was ok storywise and the art fluctuated between awesome and meh.

Also, I have only read Hope's story from when Cable rescued her as an infant and then protected her. So, I was hopelessly confused as to why she was a teenager. I was also confused about half the stuff going on in the character's lives.

Point?

Don't go into this one cold. Read the AvX, Messiah War and anything that comes before.

[Bill Mazzola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure who Dennis Hopeless is, but I thoroughly enjoyed this volume. I've always been a huge fan of Cable, but the writing has always been hit or miss. (it occurs to me that Cable may not be as cool as I think but I'm ignoring it) I loved the take on the character, love the roster - particularly Dr Nemesis, who fills the sardonic wit requirement usually reserved for Deadpool. looking forward to future volumes

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

New and more interesting Cable with new team.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I'm finally going through my physical tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.

I'm only adding one book per author and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)


First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Continuing the great x-read of 2017/18...

The first disappointment of the post-AVX stories for me. Now, it isn't a bad story by any means - it is fairly exciting, moving at a decent pace, it has characters that I love... But it has its issues and most of those are to do with the (lack of) character depth.

Cable here seems like a cardboard cutout (particularly compared to the depth he was given in the Cable and Deadpool series), Colossus seems a bit all over the place, Hope isn't given much to do (I don't think there is a single X-writer that knows what to do with hope after she came back to the present and it continues to be disappointing...) Forge is somehow alive - how? I know the answer is probably coming soon, but there isn't even a single instance of someone saying "Forge! You're alive!" or somesuch. Guess it shows how blasé resurrections have become in these books that they aren't even mentioned...

I don't know... Maybe this deserves three stars. It is a decent start to a series. The premise has been done to death but can still make for an exciting tale. There are some interesting politics in the first few issues (though they remain very surface level) and some characters that have real depth if the writers choose to use it. I will keep my fingers crossed that we see less bam pow crash in the next volume and a little more character work.

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pierwszy tom z serii Cable and X-Force przeczytałem już jakiś czas temu i w zasadzie wiele z tej lektury nie zapamiętałem. Cable ma problem z głową, który wywołuje silne bóle. Jednocześnie cała grupa ma problem z Uncanny Avengers pod wodzą Havoka. Plus Colossus prześwidrował Domino. A to wszystko w towarzystwie świetnej kreski od Larroca. Tyle z mojej pamięci.

Nieco to świadczy o tym tytule, bo choć sporo się dzieje i akcja jest dobrze skrojona, to w gruncie rzeczy nie ma tu większej głębi. Mamy problem z którym może sobie poradzić tylko Cable i spółka, ale jednocześnie ich działania narażają grupę na odpowiednią reakcję służb porządkowych, które chcą dorwać samozwańczych stróżów prawa. A raczej nie prawa, bo ofiarami padają tutaj cywile.

Fajnie znów było zobaczyć blaszka z X-men, fajnie wyglądają nowe usprawnienia dowódcy X=Force i kobiety są tu zaiste piękne. Hopeless dba też o relacje pomiędzy herosami. Naturalnie wypada tu więź między Hope a Cable'm, to w końcu to ojciec i córka. Fajnie też się uzupełniają Forge z Dr. Nemezis. O relacji Domino-Rasputin nie wspomnę.

Tytuł niezły, ale nie pozbawiony wad. Raczej tylko dla miłośników poszczególnych postaci.

[Jeff Lanter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should preface this by saying, I haven't read A+X or whatever the event is called before this book so if that is influencing the reviews, then I might be off-base but I think this book is underrated here on Goodreads. This is one of the better and more interesting Cable books I've read as it captures the gritty and bleak tone of the character but adds in other characters that play off of him well too. Its nice having a moral center like Colossus and then having a witty character like Dr. Nemesis too. Dennis Hopeless has a good feel for dialogue. It is subtle but witty in places and not trying too hard which is something too many comic writers fall prey to. There are things that could be better like the whole fast food company plot but on the whole, this was entertaining to read and it looks great too. Salvador LaRocca is an artist that not everybody likes but he's perfect for this book and many of the panels look sharp. This is certainly an above average comic and I hope the rest of the series lives up to this first volume.

[Dubzor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hopeless does it again!

Cable and X-Force really does something special. It's not the standard "hey guys, let's form a team of do-gooders" team-up, but rather a gritty story of trust, secrets, and operating on the fringes of what's considered acceptable in the Marvel universe.

The cast is excellent, and everyone has their own unique dynamic it's a lot of fun to see characters interact with each other. But perhaps the best praise I can give it is the fact that instead of jumping heedlessly from one story arc to another, Hopeless gives the characters down-time. He lets them take a breather and let the reality of the what transpired really sink in. So few comics do this these days, especially with Marvel's endless stream of cross overs, tie-ins, and universe wide events.

Definitely worth your time.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always been a big X-Force fan and Cable is obviously a huge part of that. Dennis Hopeless does a really good job of getting to the heart of who the character is. His relationship with Hope and Domino is always great to revisit. Dr. Nemsis is always fantastic. His snark is next level. The had some issues though. I don't like Cable's new look at all, Forge's past needs touched on more than just a passing, Colossus is too depressing and every writer dives back into that well, and the first arc didn't actually have a true antagonist. Overall, a good start to series that seems fun.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

a lot of jumping around in time with the storytelling was frustrating but I'm adjusting.

I understand why it's written to make them outlaws, trying to make the series different to the other X books, but they could have just explained what they were doing before or after. no need to become outlaws. I like the team being used.

larocca's art works for me here.

[Phil Fillinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially was intrigued just because Cable and Colossus were teamed up... but didn’t really care about the rest of the characters. They grew on me after a while, but still couldn’t really care if they died off.

To be fair... I can enjoy almost anything with Cable in it. But this is a fun read that doesn’t try to be Shakespeare.

Probably deserves a 3... but I really enjoy the art, so it gets the bump.

The rest of the series while still enjoyable... does not stand out enough to earn a review. They’re all decent... but Volume 1 is the clear best.

[Jdetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting cast and a solid read.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is fine. Decent pacing and colorful, bold art but I was hoping for something "cool" and this is rather old hat. Enjoyable, but nothing worthwhile.
Oh, but Dr. Nemesis is in this so that's a plus.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of my favorite X-characters. I really enjoyed the humor and the dialog. I did not enjoy the time hops back and forth.

[Frans Kempe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cable gathers a team to help him stop his future visions.

[Steve Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good entry into this title.

[Brandon García Neri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al final se pone entretenido.

[Alfredo Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical Cable stuff. Pretty well-written, though, even Hope, which is a character I REALLY don't like.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s lots of fun. Dark and dangerous with maybe a looming apocalypse but fun. It’s a diverse cast. I wouldn’t normally but some of them together but it works.